Vacuum cleaner



99b. 17, 1931. T. E. LERCH 4 9,792,992

VACUUM CLEANER Filed Dec. 11, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Macaw 1p Feb. 17,1931. LERCH 1,792,992

VACUUM CLEANER Filed Dec. 11, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Feb. 17,1931' PATENT OFFICE THEODORE E. LERCH, OI IPALMYRA, PENNSYLVANIA VACUUMCLEANER Application filed December 11, 1929. Serial No. 413,380.

This invention relates to vacuum cleaners generally and \particularly tothe nozzle therefor.

In the use of vacuum cleaners wherein brushes are provided for sweepingdirt from carpets or the like, it has been found advantageous to providea heater bar adapted to strike against the surface of the carpet to becleaned in order to loosen dirt which has become embedded therein. Suchbeaters have formerly been operated by suitable mechanical means but ithas been found that moving parts thereof soon become worn to such anextent that the beater does not operate prop- 1 erly. Therefore, oneobject of the invention is to provide a vacuum cleaner with a beater barhaving operating means in which wear is reduced to a minimum and,therefore, not likely to .get out of order after being used a shorttime. 5

A more specific object of my invention is to rovide anelectro-magnetically operated eater bar for the nozzles of vacuumcleaners.

Another object of my invention is to provide a beater wherein the bar isactuated by electro-magnets intermittently energized at a rapid rate ofspeed due to pulsations in alternating current and thereby eliminate theuse of circuit making and breaking means.

Another object of theinvention is to provide improved means for firmlymounting the magnets and their armatures which carry the beater bar inend portions of the cleaner nozzle and at the same time allow removalthereof from the nozzle when cleaning or repairs are necessary.

7 Other objects and advantages of my in vention will become apparent tothose skilled in theartas the following description is read inconjunction with the accompanying drawin s, wherein: igure 1 is a bottomplan view of a vacuum cleaner provided with an electromagneticallyoperated beater bar in accordance with my invention. I Figure 2 is aview in side elevation of the vacuum cleaner-shown in Figure 1 and beingartly in the section taken on the line 22 of i ure -1.

igure 3 is a detail view of the electromagnetic device embodied in myinvention and taken on the line3-3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4is a perspective view of one of the brackets mounted in the endsof the nozzle.

This improved beater is intended for use in connection with vacuumcleaners of a conventional construction and in Figures 1 and 2, therehas been shown a vacuum cleaner, indicated in general by the numeral 1and having the usual motor 2 and provided with a nozzle 3'which is openalong its bottom for its full width. ,It is to be understood that thevacuum cleaner shown in Figures 1 and 2 merely represents oneconventional type to which the improved beater may be applied.

A brush of the rotary typemay be mounted in the mouth or open lower endof the nozzle but in the illustration there has been shown a pair ofbrushes 4 and 5 joined in spaced relation to each other by springs 6which urge the brushes apart and cause themto be retained in the nozzleby frictional engagement with the walls thereof, as shown in Figure 2.When a vacuum cleaner is merely provided with stationary or rotarybrushes it will sweep a carpet or rug over which the cleaner is movedand remove lint and other surface dirt which is sucked into the cleaneralong with other dirt sucked out of the carpet, but

it has been found that grit and other dirt which has become deeplyembedded in the pile of the carpet or rug is not sucked out of the sameunless the carpet or rug is agitated by a' beating action. Some vacuumcleaners which employ a rotary brush having beating bars or stripsincorporated in the rotary brush but it hasbeen found that since thesebeaters move across the surface of the carpet when the brush is rotatingthey have a tendency to wear the pile whereas if a beater is providedwhich merely strikes the rug or carpet instead of moving across it witha rubbing action, this is eliminated entirely or at least reduced to aminimum.

In order to beat the carpet while the vacuum cleaner is moving over thesame and, at the same time, allow a striking action to take place, Iemploy a beater bar 7 which extends longitudinally in the nozzle. Ifbrushes of the type shown in Figures 1 and 2 are employed, the beaterbar extends between these brushes but it is to be understood that it maybe applied to cleaners having other specific types of brushes or to acleaner not equipped with a brush. In order to support the bar andimpart a vibrating motion thereto, when the sweeper is in use, I employelectro-magnets which are mounted in chambers 8 formed at the ends ofthe open mouth of the nozzle and extending rearwardly as clearly shownin Figures 1 and 2. Rollers 9 are rotatably connected with 'the outerside walls of the two chambers and extend slightly below the nozzle inorder to allow the same to be moved easily across a rug or carpet. Aspreviously stated, the electro-magnets are mounted in the chambers 8 andeach is carried by a bracket constructed as shown in Figure 4. Referringto this figure, it will be seen that each of these brackets, which areindicated in general by the numeral 10, is of a U-shaped construction.These brackets are preferably formed from strong metal and each has itsarms 11 formed with flanges 12 at its ends adapted to be securedagainstedge faces of the front and rear walls of the chambers 8 byscrews or equivalent fasteners 13 when the brackets are set into thechambers with their arms in close contacting engagement with the .frontand rear walls thereof. The bridge of the brackets and the arms 11 arecut to form openings 14 and 15 and from opposed sides of these openingsextend tongues 16 and 17, the tongues 16 projecting upwardly from thebridge and the tongues 17 extending inwardly from the arms. Thesetongues are integral with the brackets and are formed when cutting theopenings.

Each bracket carries an electromagnet consisting of a U-shaped core 18having its bridge portion extending upwardly through the slot 1-1 of itssupporting bracket between the tongues 16 through which bolts orequivalent fasteners 1!) are passed, and its side arms fitting snuglybetween the tongues 17 through which similar fasteners 20 are passed.Therefore, the U-shaped core will be very firmly secured to itssupporting bracket with its arms extending downwardl A center post 21extends downwardly from the bridge portion of each core and about thisceutcr'post is disposed a coil 22. Leads .23 extend from the ends of thecoil into junction boxes 24 secured against side walls of the chambers 8for connection with power wires which also enter the junction boxes, andfrom an inspection of Figure 1, it will be seen that the power wires mayextend upwardly along the vacuum cleaner and its handle in the usualmanner for connection with a switch (not shown). When the switch isturned on, current passes through the coils and since it is intended tohave alternating current used it will be readily seen that thepulsations of the cur- -the coils of the magnets.

rent will cause the magnets to be intermittently energized. Thepulsations of the current are very rapid and alternately cause themagnets to be energized and then rendered inactive, at a high rate ofspeed. An armature bar 26 extends beneath the arms and center post ofeach magnet and at one end is secured to the free end portion of a leafspring 27. This leaf spring is bent intermediate its length to provide abowed bridge portion 28 to increase its resiliency and has one endportion secured to the armature bar, as previously stated, while itsother end portion fits against the rear arm of the core where it isfirmly secured by screws or other suitable fasteners. From an inspectionof Figure 3, it will be seen that the springs 27 normally hold thearmature bars spaced below the side arms and center posts of themagnets. Therefore, when current is passing through the coils toalternately energize and de-energize the magnets, the armature bars willbe first drawn toward the magnets and then moved away from the same andthe beater bar 7, which has its ends secured to posts 29 extendingdownwardly from the armature bars by screws 30, willbe vibrated at arapid rate of speed and by contact with the carpet or rug over which thevacuum cleaner is moved, cause a beating action to take place anddislodge grit and other dirt which may have become deeply embedded inthe pile of the carpet.

lVhen this improved vacuum cleaner is in use, the current is turned onin the usual manner and, if so desired, a separate switch may beemployed for the wires leading to Therefore, the vacuum cleaner may beused with or without the beater operating. In some cases, a beater isnot necessary, especially, if thin rugs or bare floors are beingcleaned.

When, however, a thick carpet is being cleaned, current may be fed tothe magnets and since it is alternating current, the beater bar will berapidly vibrated as previously set forth, thereby setting up a. beatingaction which will very effectively dislodge grit and other dirt embeddedin the carpet and allow the loose dirt to be swept off of the surface ofthe carpet and sucked out of the same. \Vhen it is necessary to make anyrepairs or replacements, the screws 13 can be removed, thereby releasingthe brackets and allowing them to be drawn out of the chambers. Themagnets and heater bar are moved outwardly with the brackets and,therefore, ready access may be had to the parts which need cleaning,repair or replacement.

What is claimed is:

1. In combination with a vacuum cleaner having a nozzle open along itsbottom, brackets secured in end portions of said nozzle and each havingarms and a bridge connecting the inner ends of its arms, electromagnetscarried by said brackets and each consisting of a U-shaped core securedto the .bridge and arms of its supporting bracket springs, and a beaterbar extending longitudinally in said nozzle and secured to saidarmatures and having vibrating movement through the open bottom of thenozzle when the magnets are intermittently energized by alternatingcurrent passed through them.

2. In combination with a vacuum cleaner having a nozzle open along itsbottom, brackets secured in end portions of said nozzle and each havingarms and a bridge connecting the inner ends of its arms, electromagnetscarried by said brackets and each consisting of a U-shaped core having acenter post encircled by a coil, the arms and bridge of each bracketbeing formed with openings and having tongues at opposite sides of theopenings secured against opposed faces of the core 'to firmly secure themagnet to its supporting bracket, a spring strip secured to a side'armof the core of each magnet and extending across the same toward theother arm of the core, armature bars secured to the springs of saidmagnets and extending across the arms and center posts thereof andnormally spaced therefrom by the springs, and a beater bar extendinglongitudinally in said nozzle and secured to said armatures and havingvibrating movement through the open bottom of the nozzle when themagnets are intermittently energized by alternating current assedtherethrough.

having a nozzle open along its bottom and at the ends of its 0 en bottomformed with having a nozzle open along its bottom and.

at the ends of'its open bottom formed with chambers, U-shaped bracketsin said chambers having their arms removably secured against frontand'rear walls of the chambers, the arms and bridge portions of saidbrackets having openings therein and tongues at opposite sides of theopenings, electro-magnets carried by said brackets and each consistingof a U-shaped core having a center post enn combination with a vacuumcleaner circled by a coil, said magnets being disposed between the armsof said brackets with their arms fitting between the tongues carried bythe arms of'the brackets and their bridge portions extending through theopenings 1n the bridges of the brackets and fitting between the tonguescarried thereby, fasteners passed through said tongues to secure thesame against opposed faces of the U-shaped cores of said magnets, a leafspring secured against a side arm of each core and having its free endportion extending beneath the magnet toward its other arm, armature barssecured to the free end portions of said spring and extending beneaththe arms and posts of the cores in normall spaced relation thereto,posts depending rom the free ends of said armatures, and a beater barextending longitudinally in said nozzle and having its ends secured tosaid posts.

5. In combination with a vacuum cleaner having a nozzle open along itsbottom, brackets removably secured in end portions of said nozzle,electro-magnets carriedby said bracket-s, armatures for said magnets,spring arms secured to the brackets and armatures and yieldably holdingthe armatures spaced from the magnets, and a beater bar extendinglongitudinally in said nozzle and secured at its ends to said armaturesand bottom of the nozzle when the magnets are intermittently energizedby alternating current passed therethrough.

In testimony whereof I afiix mly signature.

THEODQRE E. LER-C [L. 5.]

